Business Students Win Governor’s Cup

Siloam Springs, Ark. (April 23, 2007) - Teams from the John Brown University Division of Business placed first and second place in the final round of the Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup competition last Friday (April 20). First place and a $20,000 prize went to team “Lucina” made up of seniors: Claire Armstrong, David Cox, Andrea Kahnk, Jordan Milano, and Leah Olson. The “Lucina” business exists to contribute to the welfare of families and caregivers by designing and manufacturing childcare products that are safe and efficient. Their first product is a baby formula machine. Second place winner ($10,000 prize) and winner of technology ($5,000 prize) award was the “Innovative Measurement Technology” team made of seniors Andrew Baskins, Trent Busenitz, Lauren Craft, and Ashley Wettengel. The “Innovative Measurement Technology” (IMT) business works to provide cost-efficient, energy conserving, and technologically advanced FeedCast Systems to agricultural farms throughout the United States.

“Each student on the teams have put in hundreds of hours on the business plans,” Mrs. Mandy Moore, business instructor, said. “Several weeks ago some of the students were discouraged and never thought they could win the competition. However, everyone pulled together as a team and their hard work was rewarded.”

The three JBU teams made it into the top 12 out of 60 teams in the semi-finals on Friday, March 16. The teams traveled back to Little Rock, Ark. for the final presentation of their business plans on Friday, April 13. The winning results were announced at a luncheon in Little Rock today (Thursday, April 19).

The teams are a part of the Strategic Management course, which all senior business major are required to take. Five teams of students worked together to create their own 30-page business plans, said business instructor Mandy Moore. Their business plans include mission, vision, strategy, marketing, financials and investment opportunities for the first five years of business. On Thursday, March 1, the plans were submitted to the Arkansas Capital Corporation, the organization that hosts the Governor's Cup.

JBU has done well in past Governor’s Cup competitions. Last year, four out of the seven JBU teams that competed made it into the final 12 out of the 60 teams competing with one team placing second, and other team placing third.

John Brown University is a private Christian university, ranked sixth by U.S. News & World Report in the Southern Region. JBU enrolls more than 2,000 students from 40 states and 45 countries. JBU is a member of Arkansas’ Independent Colleges and Universities and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.